The 15 Best Things to Do in Salento

1.Cocora Valley Shared Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 246 reviews · 4 - 8 hours · from $69Our pick

Meet your English or Spanish-speaking guide under the yellow umbrella in Salento’s main square, then ride to Cocora Valley for a guided walk among towering wax palms, wildlife, and mountain views. Guides such as Juan, Pedro, and Laura add local detail. An optional coffee farm visit extends the day.

“Like others have mentioned, this tour is quite expensive as you could easily do this independently for so much less. However, as a solo traveller, sometimes it’s nice to let someone else organise the logistics, have company, and to learn about the region.”

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2.Private Cocora Valley, Salento & Coffee Farm Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 202 reviews · 8 - 10 hours · from $157

From Salento, Armenia, or Filandia, your private English or Spanish-speaking guide leads you through Cocora Valley and a working coffee farm. Expect wax palms, rugged trails, coffee picking and roasting, tasting lessons, hotel pickup, and an itinerary that can shift with the weather.

“The tour was excellent and exactly what we were expecting. We took the 7am tour which was perfect as we had the Cocora Valley almost for ourselves (my gf, the guide and me) and could therefore enjoy the hike to the three viewpoints very much. Our guide Alejandro was very knowledgeable about the area, being from this region himself. Moreover he had also deep knowledge in the coffee making process, having worked for almost 6 years for a coffee company. Overall it was a great experience and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to hike the Cocora Valley and has an interest in Coffee.”

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3.Coffee Tour at Finca El Ocaso Salento: Traditional Spanish Farm

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 89 reviews · 1h 30m · from $19

Spend 90 minutes at Finca El Ocaso Salento learning how coffee is planted, harvested, processed, dried, stored, roasted, and brewed. A Spanish-speaking guide, including Nicolás on some departures, leads you through gardens, plantations, composting areas, and the mill before a cloth-strainer coffee tasting.

“Tour super didáctico, profesional, completo y distendido al mismo tiempo. Genial para conocer todo el proceso relacionado con el café. El lugar, genial también. 100% recomendable!”

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4.Coffee Tour Salento-Ocaso Farm- English Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 88 reviews · from $14Best value

At Finca El Ocaso, 4 km from Salento, an English-speaking guide such as Nicolas or Johnathan leads you through coffee gardens, harvesting, composting, processing, roasting, and traditional brewing. The 1.5-hour visit costs $14, with transport arranged separately.

“Loved the tour and our guide Nicolas was fantastic!”

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5.Salento/Pereira: Cocora Valley & Salento Hiking Private Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 78 reviews · 6 hours · from $108

This six-hour private tour pairs a guided Cocora Valley hike with a visit to Salento. You’ll learn about Colombia’s wax palms, ride a traditional Willy jeep, stop at valley viewpoints, meet local people, and explore Salento with an English- or Spanish-speaking guide.

“David picked us up on time at the hotel. He has a profound knowledge of the area and speaks perfect english. He answered all our questions professionally. Because of our age (75 and 70) he was gave us ample time to rest, recover and admire the beautiful valley. The Cocora Valley is beautiful. We strongly recommend this tour and if David is your guide consider yourself to be lucky. Thank you David and keep up the good work. PS David recommended two sites in Salento: Jesus Cafe and a trout restaurant, I forgot the name. Both were the best places we visited. He even took us to a coffee farm…”

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6.Cocora Valley and Salento Hike Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 76 reviews · 6 hours (approx.) · from $99Top rated

Spend about six hours exploring Cocora Valley and Salento with a private guide such as Luisa, Pedro, or Mauricio. Expect a hill-and-trail hike among Colombia’s famous wax palms, a traditional Willys jeep ride, photo stops, and a guided walk through Salento. Lunch is not included.

“Beautiful and unique experience in the valley of the cocora with the wonderful and prepared guide of Nicolaj and the driver Brian, both very kind and friendly. Excellent day including lunch in a typical Salento surrounded by nature and animals and birds of all kinds. Highly recommended!Auto-translated”

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7.Coffee Farm and Salento Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 47 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $88

Spend about four hours at historic Luger Coffee Farm, planting seedlings, picking cherries, and seeing coffee roasted and sometimes ground. Then walk Salento for an hour with a local guide such as Pedro or Ivan. Private transport, tasting, insurance, and pickup are included.

“Aprender todos los detalles sobre cómo se produce el café y hacerlo nosotros mismos en una granja muy bonita y tradicional.”

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8.Coffee Farm Tour with Tasting

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 41 reviews · 5 hours · from $101

From Filandia, your guide, often Kevin, takes you to a traditional coffee finca for a private, hands-on lesson. Walk the plantation, pick cherries, plant seedlings, follow drying and roasting, then taste the finished coffee with a barista. Confirm the day’s exact timing before booking.

“Guides et explications tres clair. Très pro et amical ! Je recommande !”

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9.Salento and Cócora Tour + Coffee Farm from Pereira/Armenia

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 33 reviews · 8 hours · from $173

Travel by private van or minibus from Pereira or Armenia to Salento, the Cocora Valley palm forest, and a coffee farm. A bilingual guide such as Eduar or Gustavo leads the day, with hotel or airport pickup, tickets, and insurance included.

“Día inolvidable desde el inicio hasta el final. Nuestro conductor Luis y nuestro guía Eduar eran muy amables y profesionales. Fue un gran placer conocerlos. Experiencia en la finca cafetera y camino por la Valle de Cócora subieron todas las expectativas que habíamos tenido. Lo único es que para mí el precio del este tour está un poco exagerado, pero hablando de experiencia misma, recomendado 100%.”

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10.Filandia, Salento and Cocora Valley Private Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 23 reviews · 10 hours · from $152

Travel by private vehicle from Manizales, Armenia, Pereira, Salento, or Filandia with an English or Spanish-speaking guide. Walk two hours among Cocora Valley’s wax palms, then explore Salento and Filandia. Guides such as Juan, Camilo, and Nicolai are known for flexible, engaging commentary.

“The activity was better than we expected. Our guide, Camilo, was attentive before and throughout the entire experience. He shared detailed stories about each place and consistently looked after our well-being. Cristian, the driver, was kind and always made sure we were comfortable. Highly recommended! The photos of the landscapes, the mountains, and especially the Cocora Valley make this activity an unforgettable encounter with nature! Highly recommended!!”

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11.Coffee Farm Tour at Finca El Ocaso from Salento

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 19 reviews · 3 hours · from $93

From Salento, visit Finca El Ocaso for a three-hour look at Colombian coffee farming. You’ll walk among coffee plants, learn about hand selection, roasting, and grinding, then taste several styles with an English or Spanish-speaking guide. Pickup and drop-off are included.

“It was nice, but quiete Long. Unfortunatley we could Not do the Tour until the end because we were picked up before.”

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12.Cocora Valley Hiking Tour with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 17 reviews · 7 hours · from $108

Meet at Salento’s main square at 9:00 am for a seven-hour Cocora Valley outing. Ride a public Willys Jeep, learn about Colombia’s wax palm, hike for about three hours, and finish with a typical lunch. English and Spanish guides are available.

“Firstly, the tour itself is worth doing. The valley is beautiful, the ride in the Willy's Jeep fun and the lunch was excellent. My gripe is with the organisation. I was sat in Heathrow Airport last week when my Whatsapp went. "Where was I?" I pointed out my ticket said the 10th, not the 3rd. No problem. Turned up early on the 10th, showed my ticket. Alarm bells went off when the guide didn't seem to speak any English, but assumed there'd be a change when we got to the site. Half way to the Valley, guide asks for my mobile number and the office tell me they don't have…”

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13.Santa Rosa de Cabal Thermal Hot Springs

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 16 reviews · 6 hours · from $94

Ride from Pereira, Filandia, Armenia, or Salento to Santa Rosa de Cabal, then spend about three hours at the hot springs. Your driver handles transport and entry, but this is not a guided tour. Expect warm pools, a waterfall, mountain scenery, and plenty of walking.

“Similar to other reviewers, this is not a tour. It is a transport from your hotel to the Hot spring. Santos, the driver, is nice and on time (early evening) on picking up. The drive is around an hour from downtown Pereira. Once arrived, santos accompanied me to the ticket counter to get my ticket. I have 3 hours to spend in the hot springs. Overall it around 5 hours total for the experience”

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14.Salento, Cocora and Filandia Full Plan from Pereira/Armenia

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 11 reviews · 8 hours · from $219

Spend eight hours with a bilingual guide such as Soledad, visiting Cocora Valley’s wax palms, Salento, and Filandia. Your private tour includes hotel or airport pickup, a Jeep Willys ride, palm forest and hill viewpoint tickets, lunch at Laurita, a hot drink, water, and medical insurance.

“My hotel is in Pereira. My tour starts from there. The driver Luis and the tour guide Soledad are excellent. Especially the tour guide is very knowledgeable in plant, animals and nature. She is a great photographer as well. I learned a lot from her. The lunch is very tasty. I love this tour and would further recommend.”

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15.Salento & Cocora Valley Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 11 reviews · from $68

Meet your English-speaking guide at Salento’s Our Lady of Carmen Church at 9 am. Ride a jeep to Cocora Valley, walk among Colombia’s wax palms, view Los Nevados National Park, tour Salento’s colorful center, and eat trout with patacón. Guides may include Jose, Juan, or Jairo.

“Our guide Juan was so kind and knowledgeable. We had a wonderful day in Cocora Valley and Salento. The restaurant for the lunch was also so good. Thank you for everything.”

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